Comply Slowly – Episode 6 picks right up with the Cleaner Joe (Chris Corrigan) venturing upstairs of Sam Nelson’s (Idris Elba) flat to inspect rumblings. A slow breathtaking search follows as the man searches the various nooks and crannies on Sam’s room and the back balcony. Joe, however, makes the crucial mistake of not searching one of the closets where Kai Nelson (Jude Cudjoe) is revealed to be hiding.

The Prison – The guards arrive to collect Edgar Janssen (Simon McBurney) from his cell. Peeking through the security slot before opening the steel door, they are surprised to see the man standing at attention and ready for transport. He is quickly escorted to the reception area where he meets partner, John Bailey-Brown (Ian Burfield), reissued his belongings, and processed out. Now in street clothes, the duo is escorted to a waiting vehicle and given a cell phone. As Edgar turns the phone on, he issues very stern instructions to the man in charge about what will happen if they are tracked, followed, or the authorities even attempt any variety of the sort.

Collingwood House – The team at Collingwood House isn’t going to sit idly by on their hands as Louise Aitchison (Hattie Morahan) lays out the latest for them. They will, however, need to take a less proactive approach. The hacked GPS of the 4×4 should provide them with everything they need to keep a tight eye on the duo. Neil (Neil Stuke) only adds to the beef between him and Louise when he adds that this is merely a “staged release.” Louise fires back by making sure all team members know that was a “home office” decision. The local authorities are also being apprised of events. The Collingwood Supervisor (Adam Szabo) adds his two cents by pointing out that the pertinent thing to do is comply, get the plane on the ground, get the passengers safe, and then worry about apprehending the men.

The Pursuit – Daniel O’Farrell (Max Beesley) and Erica (Liv Spencer) are paired together once again as they and a convoy of two trails Edgar and John with stern reminders from Collingwood to not get too close. Communicating with the team back at Collingwood, Daniel points out that the two men know exactly where they are going, suggesting that this is a preplanned route. Home Secretary, Neil, can’t help but add that the two must know they are tracking them. While the two are going back and forth, Detective Zahra Gahfoor (Archie Panjabi) issues an assistant to issue all-ports warnings and have choppers on the ready. Arriving at a crossroads, the team notices the speed of the 4×4 slowly decreasing until it stops completely. Daniel and his team have already been spotted and Edgar doesn’t waste any time getting out of the vehicle and giving a phone to Daniel. There are a few tense seconds there when Edgar reaches into his pocket to get the phone, as the team suspects they might be fired at. Edgar merely puts the phone on the hood and returns to his vehicle. With this pursuit method blown, the Collingwood team maneuvers in their tracking drone as Edgar answers the now-ringing phone. It’s Edgar on the other end and he’s not happy about the broken agreement.

Flight KA29 – Terry (Jasper Britton) doesn’t waste any time moving Lewis’ (Jack McMullen) body to one of the small inflight bathrooms while the nearest passengers watch glumly. Jamie Constantinou (Aimee Kelly) tries to rally Stuart Atterton (Neil Maskell) and get him back in the game as he is perched in the captain’s chair, staring stunned into the clouds. He finally responds and with Lewis gone, the team needs help manning the cabins. Hugo (Harry Michell) attempts to get information out of Sam about the deceased Lewis, but Sam appears equally glum and non-communicative. He does, however, keep a close watch on Stuart who has just received even worse news from Edgar. Drawing the attention of Jamie, Stuart brings her back to the cabin and tasks her with picking a passenger to kill in response to the botch on the ground. As Stuart closes the curtains that separate first class from the cabin, Sam gets curious and approaches.

It’s Lucky for Deevia Khan (Zora Bishop) that he did because Stuart has the head of the crew on her knees as he applies torque to the belt around her neck from behind. Stuart orders Sam out, while Jamie points out how bad it will be if Sam goes back and reveals what they are doing to the other passengers. When asked by Sam, Stuart doesn’t waste any time revealing that they’ve been ordered to kill a passenger and send a photo. Jamie, on the other hand, isn’t happy with Stuart’s newfound candidness. Thinking about it for a second as if contemplating, Sam points out how clever it is for him to choose one of the staff as opposed to a passenger. He then adds how even more ingenious it is to choose the silent method of the belt. “No one will even know it happened.” Sam then uses his own wit to point out that they’ve already got a dead lady from the earlier shooting. Why not take a picture of her and send it to the ground?

Not only Stuart appreciates the plan, but Jamie’s all game for it as well. Unfortunately for Sam, however, he is issued at gunpoint the gruesome task of arranging the body for the photo. His attempts to use the task to get his hands untethered are unsuccessful. With the body in position, it is Colette (Kate Phillips) that is issued the macabre task of snapping the shot.

Collingwood House – The members of Collingwood House not only continue to electronically track Edgar and John, but Detective Gahfoor works with Alice Sinclair (Eve Myles) and air traffic control to stage armed forces at the most likely airports the crime duo is likely to use. Louise can’t help but point out the irony when the Defense Secretary calls and informs them that she will not be interfering with their decisions. She is leaving them in charge to handle the situation. With that situated, Gahfoor touches base with Daniel who is also still following the newly released inmates. The tracker will do the work as long as he stays within range.

Things are thrown completely array when Daniel receives another phone call from Edgar. The man is calling to confirm that Daniel and the team understand the validity of his threat. Making claims that they are taking his threats as seriously as possible, Edgar wants to know why they are still being pursued. Edgar is ready to unveil his ace up his sleeve and sends Daniel the photo of the dead female passenger. Upon receiving the photo, they immediately stop the convoy and Edgar forwards the photo to the team at Collingwood.

Sam’s Flat – Kai reveals a bit of his father’s fortitude as he gets on his hands and knees to creep for a better look at the cleaners. Joe is doing his best to guess Sam’s computer password, while Cleaner Maz (Samson Cox-Vinell) searches for anything that might provide clues to the code. Kai is stunned when Maz points out that Sam’s flat not only represents that of a bachelor pad, but his belongings tell him that Sam only cares about himself. Kai is even further shocked when Joe lets it slip that Sam is causing problems on the plane and their orders are to leverage his family against him.

In The City – Disembarking from his bicycle, intrepid reporter Felix Staton (Rufus Jones) receives a call from the mysterious man that delivered the hijacker’s demands to the Home Secretary two episodes ago. He reveals himself as Devlin (Kevin Eldon) and declares it’s time for a meet. Devlin offers him the biggest story of his career if he’s willing to come right now to the Ship’s Tavern located behind Holborn Tube. Jumping back on his bike and pedaling away, Felix is game. At least he better be or Devlin promises the story to FT.

Flight KA29 – In first class Sam updates Hugo and Pilot Robin Allen (Ben Miles) about the hijacker’s need to send a photo of a body to someone on the ground. Sam suspects that leverage is the only explanation for the action. Sending a picture of a body only means they are serious. Hugo contributes this as a good thing because it means the situation is done and over. Sam corrects his thinking by asking what if it happens again and they need more proof of another body? Undeterred, Hugo says they can fake it. The pilot suggests fighting should the need arise and Sam agrees. It, however, needs to be more than just them. The whole plane needs to be ready to react if the need for proof of another body arises. With that settled, Sam orders Hugo to get into his right pocket and retrieve the first aid kit scissors. Hugo complies but has trouble cutting the plastic straps before Stuart is on the scene. Upon his arrival, Stuart notices that Hugo has a pen in his mouth and orders him to remove it, but doesn’t bother confiscating it. Stuart’s departure reveals that Hugo did manage to free Sam’s plastic cuffs, although it made it appear otherwise.

The Ship’s Tavern – Felix arrives at a cloak and dagger meeting at Ship’s Tavern. Entering the pub, the female bartender not only locks the door behind him, but he notices he is the only patron besides the man claiming to be Devlin and the lone bartender. Not greeting the man, Felix approaches, turns on the recording app on his phone, and sits it between them. Now behind the bar, the female confiscates the phone to which Felix does protest. With no explanation, Devlin begins his spiel about two companies being listed on the FTSE 100. In the next hour and a half, both of these companies are expected to financially collapse. One is Kingdom Airlines and the other is Macmillan Doyle. Macmillan just so happens to be the company that insures Kingdom Airlines. Unaware of the situation, Felix jokingly points out that not many scenarios will cause a reaction like this. One of them would be a plane falling out of the sky. For the first time, Devlin turns to him and tells him about Flight KA29. The plane has been hijacked. Without giving the reporter a chance to react to that, Devlin immediately brings up a previous gas company scandal that Felix broke.

Felix plays dumb and tries to contribute the story to a backbencher, Duncan Rowland. Of course, it was Duncan that got named publically for the story, but it was Felix that fed him the information. Of course, this would merely be considered good reporting if Felix hadn’t made a bundle on the stock before the story broke. In many circles, this is considered “insider trading.” With that thrown out there, Devlin reveals that if Felix wasn’t corrupt he wouldn’t be coming to him. Giving the man a 30-minute timeline to publically break the story, this no longer is an optional piece for Felix. Either break the story or have his dirty laundry aired. Once Felix’s phone is returned and the exit is opened, Devlin makes a one-sided call confirming his task is complete. He’s nearly 100% sure it will, as people mostly tend to look out for their best interests when things get dicey.

Flight KA29 – Sam and the first class team have assembled a rather ingenious way to alert the other passengers in coach and business to be ready to react if the hijackers attempt to assassinate another of their own. They do this by circling a popular phrase on of the inflight beverages and passing it down the aisles. The phrase reads: “Get ready to shake things up,” and it is Yussuf’s (Nasser Memarzia) wife that draws the task of getting deliver the message to the business class passengers. She does so with claims of needing to use the restroom, where she passes the message to the closest passenger, Arthur (Jeremy Ang Jones). With the message received, Arthur looks towards first class where he spots Hugo peering down the aisle. No words or acknowledgments are exchanged, but the implications are implied and understood.

Collingwood House – The team has identified the victim as Sheena Francis (Liz Kingsman). Matching tattoos with the 30-year-old Australian’s Twitter account leaves no questions about the identity. Her life was merely beginning with the new speech therapy assignment that she was to begin Monday morning. Louise clearly addresses Neil in front of the team and states that it is better to let these men go than to have another tragedy such as this. He agrees with the caveat that they continue their applied strategy, “Comply slowly.” He hopes that they can get this plane safely on the ground before the men have a chance to escape their grasp.

The Pursuit – From the side of the road, team Daniel and the convoy receive another phone call from team Edgar, seemingly miles ahead now. Edgar is no longer the cool, calm, and collected individual that he has been thus far. He and John have just pulled to the rear of a long line of vehicles that don’t appear to be going anywhere fast, thanks to the wrecked vehicles ahead. Edgar believes the event to be staged in an attempt to give the plane sufficient time to land. Daniel denies this and makes a good point by asking, “How would they know which road to block?” Frustrated or not caring, Edgar avows that he will continue to order deaths until they are back in motion.

Sam’s Flat – With his shoes off, Kai makes is creeping his way through Sam’s flat in what appears to be an attempt to gain access to a USB outlet. He’s made his way to the kitchen where just ahead Joes is on the sofa issuing orders to Maz and keeping an eye on FTSE. Making it to the little closet in the laundry room, he finds just what he needs, connects the USB, and makes a call to emergency services. Requesting access as quietly as possible, he asks to be connected to the police. Unable to hear the boy, the operator orders him to press 5, 5 on the phone if he can’t respond and she will dispatch a unit to the registered address of the phone. Upon learning that she will attempt to call back after dispatching the unit, he unplugs the phone. Kai finally puts two and two together when he overhears the news about Felix Staton’s release.

Flight KA29 – Sam and the team’s plan has proven to be extremely effective as passengers find clever ways to arm themselves for the potential ensuing battle. The message is still spreading as co-pilot, Anna Kovacs (Kaisa Hammarlung) communicates with nods from Arthur. Upon receiving the all-clear she moves in to cut Gary (Paul Hickey) and Eddie (Grant Burgin). Unfortunately, her attempts are cut short when Jaden (Mohamed Elsandel) nearly catches her in the act. The message is still rotating and passengers continue to arm up, anticipating the worst.

The Pursuit – As Daniel updates Detective Gahfoor with Edgar’s latest threat, it becomes immediately clear that the team had nothing to do with the wreck. Gahfoor is further stymied when monitoring the tracking drone reveals that Edgar has now left the vehicle and opens a nearby gate while John reroutes the 4×4. The traffic cops also take notice while the Collingwood House and British ATC debate over the possible routes. It is British Controller, Michael (Tom Bonington) who points out that if they are seeking an airfield, the only available one is Fernhill. In fact, they are heading directly there and should approach in 10 minutes. Detective Gahfoor only perceives this as a good sign, being that Special Forces are already in place and it’s one of the smaller options. Things are shaken up, however, when the team loses sight of the vehicle in a cluster of dense foliage. Although the tracker reveals them to be stationary, it is only for several seconds and the drone finds them again when they are clear of the foliage. Unhappy with the results, Edgar contacts Daniel and the stationary convoy to declare that he will be ordering another assassination. Daniel’s pleas to stop him are shut down.

Flight KA29 – Back on the flight things are becoming increasingly taut for both passengers and hijackers. As the message continues to make the rounds, Stuart checks his handgun’s mag, as if to make sure he’s loaded with live rounds and expected problems. His foresight is right on because just minutes later Jaden catches Kate Miller (Rochenda Sandall) trying to pass the message to an uncooperative passenger. As Jaden demands repeatedly the source of the message, Sam notices that Stuart gets another text. With Jamie joining Jaden and taking the message Stuart, the passengers only grow edgier. When Stuart is shown the message, he remembers Hugo with the pen in his mouth earlier. Approaching Hugo, he holds out the text message he just received and orders the frightened man to read it. It’s virtually a death sentence, and Stuart has just found his deserving target. When Stuart orders the man to get to his feet, Sam intervenes and reveals that he is not only free of his cuffs but that he is now in possession of the pen.

Collingwood House – Things are getting just as tense at the Collingwood House as Louise and the team ready the Special Forces for the men’s arrival at the Fernhill airport. Daniel has also made Detective Gahfoor aware of Edgar’s new threat. Things don’t get any less awkward when Louise and Neil’s consternation reaches a boiling point and spills over into a shouting match. Neil is on the side of not letting the plane take off, no matter the consequences, whole Louise can’t bear the thought of another dead passenger.

Flight KA29 – Stuart now has Sam at gunpoint and Jamie is yelling at him to pull the trigger. “What Edgar wants, Edgar gets,” she reminds him. It is Deevia’s turn now to step in for Sam. As she does with pleas to spare the man, she draws Stuart’s attention in the opposite direction of Sam and Jamie. Growing frustrated Stuart turns around and pushes Sam against the wall and breaks down. Stuart virtually finds himself screaming for volunteers to take a bullet. Going to the business class, Stuart gives the passengers the option of choosing a victim or he will choose.

Collingwood House – Louise’s assistant reminds her that she is the leading authority in the room, but upon her return to the conference room and order to pull Special Forces out, it’s too late. The 4×4 has already arrived at the small airfield and the takedown is already underway. Smiles and congratulations are issued all around when the team moves in and apprehends the targets without incident. Gahfoor, however, ends that when she notes that the targets are decoys. Elsewhere in the forest, Edgar and John make their way to a stashed vehicle. Retrieving the keys from the wheelhouse, John jumps in and starts the vehicle while Edgar sends the text, “Now.”

Flight KA29 – Stuart is still in the middle of his breakdown and promises that if there are no volunteers the next person to make a noise gets it. Seconds later he hears a gasp but doesn’t know exactly which passenger it belonged to. Bravely one of the younger female passengers claims responsibility. Grabbing her by the hair and slinging her in the aisle, Sam decides he can’t idly sit by anymore and tackle Stuart to the ground, causing him to fumble and drop the weapon in the struggle. Stuart has managed to retrieve the weapon and get to his feet, but Sam is now behind him choking him with the flex cuffs, similar to the way Stuart was choking Deevia earlier. An elbow and a bit of struggle later lead to a face-to-face encounter as the two continue to struggle for control of the weapon, although it is in Stuart’s hand. The struggle leads to a fired stray bullet that gets the nearby Arthur in the leg.

While all this has been taking place, Amanda (Holly Aird), a seemingly unimportant and harmless passenger has rushed to the bathroom and begins readying herself for battle. As she checks the clip of the 9mm to make sure it is fully loaded with live rounds, Jonty (James Burrows) takes Terry from behind with a plastic bag over his head. Sam and Stuart are still wrestling for control of the weapon, but Amanda is making her way to the front of the plane where she shoots the captain in the head and locks herself in the cockpit. As the shot rings out, all attention goes to Amanda. Even the hijacks look on completely stunned.

Hijack Review 

 

To start, I would have to rate this episode a 5.5 out of 10. The biggest portion of that can be contributed to the huge twist at the end, although it wasn’t entirely unexpected. It was unexpected as to who the wildcard would be, but it wasn’t entirely unfathomable that someone else on the plane might have ulterior motives. Other than this, the episode drug a bit. It didn’t make sense to me that the Collingwood House wouldn’t have expected Edgar and John to escape when they stopped in that cluster of forest. How did they know they were being followed by a drone? Is that standard operating procedure?

 

The introduction of Felix and watching him get leveraged by Chessmaster Devlin was really cool. It was also nice to get to see Kai play a more important role, although he’s not one of my favorites. I can appreciate the fortitude he showed he showed in the face of adversity. I also enjoy watching the Home Secretary and Louise squabble back and forth. Not to be longwinded, I must add that Stuart appears to be falling apart. I know he just lost his brother, but from the start, he has missed major things that make me question whether or not he was the best man for this task. His letting Hugo keep the pen and not noticing that Sam has freed himself from the restraints was almost too much to overlook.

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